Content Access Management in a Social Networking System for Externally Stored Content

1. A method comprising: receiving, at a social networking system server, an access determination request from a content owner server in response to the content owner server receiving a request for a content object from a requesting user of the social networking system server, the access determination request identifying the requesting user and the requested content object; identifying, based on the identity of the requested content object, a stored content access rule received from the content owner server and associated with the requested content object, wherein the content access rule defines one or more access criteria for the requested content object, and limits access to the requested content object to a set of users associated with user information that satisfies the one or more access criteria defined by the content access rule; retrieving, at the social networking system server, the corresponding content access rule; determining, by a processor at the social networking system server, an access determination indicating whether the requesting user can access the requested content object by determining whether user information associated with the requesting user satisfies the one or more access criteria defined by the content access rule, wherein at least one access criteria is satisfied in response to the user viewing an advertisement; and transmitting the access determination from the social networking system server to the content owner server, the content owner server configured to grant the requesting user access to the requested content object responsive to the access determination indicating that the requesting user can access the requested content object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access determination request identifies the requested content object using a unique content object identifier sent to the content owner server by the social networking system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access determination request identifies the content access rule associated with the access determination request.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein access determination request identifies the content access rule using a unique access rule identifier sent to the content owner server by the social networking system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content owner is configured to deny the requesting user access to the requested content object responsive to a determination that the requesting user cannot access the requested content object, and wherein the content owner is further configured to prompt the requesting user to provide additional information needed for an access determination granting the requesting user access to the requested content object.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved content access rule identifies an action that originated within a social networking system but that was completed outside the social networking system that the requesting user must have performed for the requesting user to access the requested content object.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved content access rule specifies a selection of a link presented by the social networking system and a completion of an action outside of the social networking system, the action corresponding to the link.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved content access rule specifies information unrelated to the requested content object or the content owner.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the access criteria is satisfied if the requesting user has paid a content access fee for the content object.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one item of associated user information is an age of the requesting user, and one of the access criteria is satisfied if the age of the requesting user exceeds a minimum age that the requesting user must be to access the requested content object.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein one item of associated user information is a geographic location at which the requesting user lives, and one of the access criteria is satisfied if the geographic location matches a geographic location identified in the access criteria.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein one item of associated user information indicates whether the requesting user is a member of an identified social networking system group, and one of the access criteria is satisfied if the requesting user is a member of the identified group.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein one item of associated user information is a school at which the requesting user attends, and one of the access criteria is satisfied if the school matches a school identified in the access criteria.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the access criteria is satisfied if the requesting user is connected to a social networking system user identified in the access criteria.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein one item of associated user information is a place of employment at which the requesting user is employed, and one of the access criteria is satisfied if the place of employment matches a place of employment identified in the access criteria.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the access criteria is satisfied if the requesting user has completed an identified social networking system survey.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the access criteria is satisfied if the requesting user has completed an identified social networking system game.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content access rule is further associated with a second content object.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive, at a social networking system server, an access determination request from a content owner server in response to the content owner server receiving a request for a content object from a requesting user of the social networking system server, the access determination request identifying the requesting user and the requested content object; identify, based on the identity of the requested content object, a stored content access rule received from the content owner server and associated with the requested content object, wherein the content access rule defines one or more access criteria for the requested content object, and limits access to the requested content object to a set of users associated with user information that satisfies the one or more access criteria defined by the content access rule; retrieve, at the social networking system server, the corresponding content access rule; determine, at the social networking system server, an access determination indicating whether the requesting user can access the requested content object by determining whether user information associated with the requesting user satisfies the one or more access criteria defined by the content access rule, wherein at least one access criteria is satisfied in response to the user viewing an advertisement; and transmit the access determination from the social networking system server to the content owner server, the content owner server configured to grant the requesting user access to the requested content object responsive to the access determination indicating that the requesting user can access the requested content object.